Heroes of Olympus: Aftermath
by RoaminGrecoRoman
Summary: The Second Giant War is over. Peace and prosperity have replaced the warring times of the past. There were sacrifices that needed to be made, however, and Percy was abandoned in Tartarus. A new adventure that picks up after the Heroes of Olympus!


**A/N: Hey people, this is my first attempt at any kind of fictional writing. I'm trying to emulate the style Rick Riordan used for the Percy Jackson series, so any comments on how successful I am would be greatly appreciated. The story basically picks up at the end of the Giant War, and it turns out Percy was the one trapped in the Underworld, Tartarus. I know some of it might sound a little similar to Percy bathing in the Styx, but both events occur in the Underworld, so I hope you can forgive that. The characters are basically going to be OC, except I'll probably have them develop according to what is happening around them. I haven't really planned out what's happening next yet, so stay tuned! Please review and read! **

**All rights for the characters go to Rick Riordan.**

Chapter 1: Tartarus

I don't know how long I had been down there. Time didn't past in the underworld like it it did back upstairs. My friends had all made it, the giants were defeated, and the Olympians continued their rule of the West. I should be glad, right? The world didn't end and civilisation continued: Annabeth was alive. But winning the Giant War meant making necessary sacrifices, and closing the Doors of Death meant that I was stuck in Tartarus. I volunteered, but the answer to the "one puny demi-god versus the entire world" question seemed obvious back then. I really had no clue what it entailed, maybe if I had known... I guess people are right when they say that nothing comes free - except for the bread that comes in fancy restaurants, and tap water too, I suppose. I mean, my sacrifice saved the world. I was supposed to just take whatever pain at whatever the cost - for the greater good. The world was safe now, so I made the right decision, right? Why me though? Hadn't I been through enough?

Being imprisoned in Tartarus was so much worse than just feeling pain. To spend a second here was more taxing than holding the entirety of the Skies. I was terrified. The punishments of Tartarus were as much psychological as they were physical.

The pits of Tartarus were completely dark, as in not the darkness of a sleeping city, or even the darkness of a forest under a crescent moon, but pitch black. I was chained to the bottom of a pit, with a ground that emitted endless fire. How I was incarcerated was as much a mystery to me as how Hades did not have full dominion over a part of _his _domain. All I remembered was being knocked out after the Doors of Death were closed, and ending up here. The fires burned like nothing I'd ever felt before. The only sensations I could feel besides the cold iron of the chains that bound me was pain from the scalding heat. The flames never stopped, and neither did the screams. There were no windows nor crevices that allowed light. Only the clashing of chained ankles could spark occasional flickers of light above me- light which revealed that the only company close to me were piles of bones. The heavy footsteps of monsters above me would also cause the crumbling of stone and rocks that fell with such force that they would slice through my flesh. If I concentrated, my father's magic could protect from the flames, but to the rocks I was completely vulnerable. I would sacrifice the burning of more of more of my flesh just to dodge the rocks, rather than allow myself to continue being impaled. The fear I'd feel during the intervals between the falling of rocks was horrifying, and the pain, too, was horrible. My willpower and power were both wearing out quickly. I didn't know how much longer I could last.

The punishments would not allow sleep, nor would they allow a second of rest. To make matters worse, the other subjects of Tartarus made it their job to torture me with their words. "You should have chosen to serve me, Jackson! Now, feel the cruelty and callousness of my children, and taste the bitterness of regret!": bellowed a voice that somehow made me comfortable with its familiarity. Even if it was _him_, at least it was nice to hear from someone I knew. I wish I had something clever to retort with, but I was speechless. From what I could tell, the Gods had seriously abandoned me this time. Maybe Luke did have a point. I prayed daily to Poseidon to end my suffering, but no help ever came, and that was a fact that really hurt me.

I missed Annabeth. Not a single moment went by where she wasn't on my mind. She said she'd come for me, but it was getting increasingly difficult to even remember what she said. Was it: "I'll be back.", or was it "Percy, I'll do whatever it takes, just wait for me.". No, it couldn't have been the former, that was Arnold the Terminator, son of Ares. Annabeth said she would return, and I had to hope that she would keep her word; during times of despair, you have to have hope or all is lost.

I tried to look forward to when my father would come and save me, look forward to when a group of heroes would be sent on a quest to free me, or to when I'd see the rays of the sun again. But honestly, after some days, when I thought I could no longer withstand the pain, hope did begin to waft away, and I thought I'd be in agony forever.

I spent so long inside the pit that I could feel that my presence was beginning to dissipate. My eyes would shut involuntarily as I'd drift between states of consciousness and unconsciousness. My body was shutting down; it seemed that I hadn't much time left. I was even becoming accustomed to being burnt. It came to the point where I'd only wake up when the rocks would hit me. My mind was just about gone, my body fatally hurt, and my soul eager for rest. But then, just as I was letting go...a voice whispered in my ears:

"Seaweed Brain, don't let your soul slip away. Think of me. Picture my presence. Remember."

That voice, I was so sure I knew it, so sure I'd once loved it. It soothed my hurt and invigorated me - was I hallucinating? I had nothing to lose. My soul had almost faded. What harm could come of trying? And so I tried to remember the favourite memories I had of my time with _her._ The first time she and I properly kissed, underwater, where we forgot the world so that we could connect in that one moment. And when we spent that night together in the Argo's stables, her head resting on my shoulder, the way she'd breath so softly.

I focused every bit of energy I had left within me into feeling her presence, picturing her face smiling in front of me. Her presence was so bright in Tartarus' darkness that I could smell the lemon scent of her hair, I could feel the warmth of her body, and even taste her soft lips pressing against mine. The memories I had of the world I used to live in were returning, and I realized I had forgotten the reason I needed to stay alive. Annabeth. I had to find a way out of here.


End file.
